Facebook Lands High School Students In Hot Water

For the second time in a year South Burlington police have used photos they found on Facebook to nab high schoolers for possession of alcohol.

Police said that last week they charged a South Burlington high school hockey player with possession of alcohol and last June they issued tickets to 18 other students affiliated with the school's lacrosse team for possession of alcohol after pictures of the students imbibing alcohol appeared on the social networking Web site.

Officials said that in both instances the school's resource officer was tipped off to photos on Facebook.

South Burlington high school officials said they've benched the student athletes and required them to get counseling.

Students argue that posting photos on Facebook is a First Amendment right. A former prosecutor and current professor at the Vermont Law School Cheryl Hanna agrees. Hanna said the students may be able to fight the charges by bringing into question whether police provided enough proof about the students' activities by only providing photos.

One of the students who was charged in June contested her ticket but lost the appeal. She was ordered to pay a $330 fine and will have the offense on her permanent record. The other students have opted for a court diversion program that will clear their record if completed successfully.